Washington's Finest

I do not think that Washington gets it. Bloggers will not allow Washington's finest goof balls to block access to the Internet. Save the Internet is an important topic, but Washington's finest have not figured this out. Bloggers and Internet based citizen journalists are on the march to protect our freedom of speech in this new dynamic medium called the blogosphere.The following is from an excellent blog on Save the Internet.

Indeed, earlier today support for Net Neutrality emerged as the No. 1 issue that thousands of visitors to TechPresident had selected to be answered by all the presidential candidates. By Monday afternoon’s count, more than twice as many people had voted for the Net Neutrality question over any other issue at 10Questions.com.

Net Neutrality

The following is from the Save The Internet site.

What Comcast is doing is inspecting the packets of information users send over BitTorrent and similar peer-to-peer protocols. When Comcast’s technology identifies a file being uploaded over BitTorrent, it intercepts and terminates the transmission by falsifying the TCP to look like one of the end users. As Professor Susan Crawford explains: “It’s as if someone else that sounded like you got on the phone as you were talking to your mother and said, ‘We need to hang up right now.’ ”Comcast’s behavior, which AP calls “the most drastic example yet of data discrimination by a U.S. Internet service provider,” is what a world without Net Neutrality looks like.

The large telecoms are trying to control Internet content in a way that was not intended. This is a strategy that most large telecoms are utilizing. The next movement by these large firms will be to create software that will automatically screen any blogger that mentions the large firms name. Save the Internet for bloggers.

Net Neutrality

News Flash from Save The Internet By Timothy L. Stanley

The following article from Save The Internet is right on. It is time to lobby Washington to move toward a policy that allows bloggers to have Internet free speech. Telecoms giants and Washington regulators are in the process of limiting access and restricting the Citizen Journalist. Call your elected official to promote Net Neutrality.

No More Gatekeepers!

Recent censorship and blocking by AT&T, Verizon and Comcast shows us what we can expect in a future where powerful phone and cable companies control the free flow of information.

It's time Congress demanded free speech over all 21st Century communications – on the Internet, on cell phones, on the streets, everywhere. Stand with the millions of Americans and demand a free and open Internet.

Bloggers Beward

I read as many bloggers as possible regarding internet freedom. Bloggers should be aware that government regulators and the telecommunication industry have an agenda. They want to control the internet and bloggers. The following is from Save The Internet.

Internet, email and text messaging are a final refuge for free speech — at a time when other “mass media” have become the domain of a handful of powerful companies. We can’t let the Internet slip into the hands of the same types of gatekeepers that now control most of what we see and hear over television and radio.

Customers, Friends and Those Around Us

Customers, Friends and Those Around Us

By T.L. Stanley

In our fast-paced world, it is easy to lose track of the importance of human relations. Today, our human relations seems to rest on the wonders of E-mail, FAX, text messages, cell phones, blog sites, and the marvels of a Blackberry. Even though we have advanced in communications, our technology has hindered direct human interaction. Therefore, extra effort must be taken to understand and appreciate the value of others. Everyone wants to be treated with respect and dignity. Treat others as you want them to treat you.

Professionals in real estate, insurance, and most retail establishments will attest to the value of repeat business. Remember, if you do not take care of your customer, someone else will. Be creative and find solutions to work related customer problems.

Professionals with a eye on repeat business give the customer the best deal possible. If your costs have been lowered, give the customer a lower price. This will demonstrate to the customer that they are special and the organization is a first-rate business.

It is essential that you respect and encourage friends. This will help them maximize their talents and abilities. Everyone likes to hear a compliment. You should look for opportunities to say something good about a friend.

Ten ways to be a friend

1. Make it a point to be friendly everywhere you go.
2. Listen to your friends and respect their opinions.
3. Make sure you are always looking for ways to help your friends.
4. Treat everyone fairly and try to turn a sour person into a smiling person.
5. Set individual goals for yourself and your friends will respect you even more.
6. Respect yourself and be proud of your accomplishments and your friends will do the same.
7. When two of your friends become enemies, don’t take sides. Keep both as friends by being a friend to both. However, don’t meet with both at the same time.
8. Develop yourself and always work toward self-improvement. This will raise your own self-esteem.
9. Let your friends have their own ideas about religion and politics and do not argue with your friends about these topics. If you think differently, change the subject.
10. Communicate with your friends regularly. Meet with your friends in person. There is nothing like a friendly chat about life’s many marvels that can draw friends closer. Plus, letters, phone calls, and e-mails will keep you abreast of happenings. Help your friends set up their own blog sites to increase communications.

In conclusion, always be a friend and look for ways to gather more friends. Everyday that you go out into the world, you will have a chance to make more friends. Be a friend and you will have many.

Timothy L. Stanley is a Business Writer and Realtor® with Dilbeck GMAC Real Estate 626-230-0741. This article was published in the Rosemead Herald, Rosemead Star News, and The California Reporter. All Rights Reserved.

Politics, Bloggers, and Internet Freedom

I consider myself a moderate and try not to get pulled into the right verses the left debate. However, I wonder if Republicans know where they really stand on Internet Freedom. It seems to me that the Republicans are so concerned about allowing governmental agencies to have access to all forms of communications, that they have overlooked the importance of independent thinkers on the radio and Internet blogs. Even though the Republicans support conservative radio broadcasters, they do not support Internet Freedom. Bloggers need the freedom to be Citizen Journalists. If the government and telecommunications giants have their way, bloggers could be discriminated against easily. Net Neutrality is being debated in Washington right now. Citizen Journalism is essential to promote and stimulate discourse about our democracy. One could argue that bloggers are Citizen Journalists. Regardless, all bloggers should support Net Neutrality.

Watch out for censorship

The following is from an outstanding blogger at Save the Internet. “Free speech shouldn't stop when you turn on your computer or pick up your cellphone,” writes Keenan and Combs. “Recent actions by the nation’s biggest communications corporations should be of grave concern to all who care about public participation in our democracy. In calling for congressional hearings on the censorship, NARAL and the Christian Coalition join a growing list of organizations, businesses and everyday citizens who want Congress to take immediate action to protect free speech on all communications platforms. We can’t trust phone companies to safeguard our basic American freedoms".

The telecommunication giants must be watched all the time. They have a vested interest in pushing bloggers off the air. There is also collusion between telecommunication giants and government regulators to monitor and purge the Internet of critical journalism.

Save The Internet

Even though the Save The Internet movement is steeped in political issues, it appears that the Internet must be saved from government regulators and telecommunication giants. It is hard to imagine the impact of having the government control the content and political correctness of the Internet. Plus, telecommunication giants have a vested interest in being the servants of large corporate concerns wanting exclusive access to the Internet for marketing purposes. In addition, the government would like to control content in order to stifle dissent.

Some of the liberal organizations joining the Save The Internet fight make me feel uncomfortable. Politically, I am a registered Independent. I am a free thinker and take a moderate approach to many issues, because I try to understand both sides of an argument. Generally speaking, I do not trust the power vested in the Democratic and Republican parties. Regardless, saving the Internet is a fight that must be taken seriously, because bloggers need to be free to investigate and inform. The future of Citizen Journalism is a stake.

Net Neutrality

Net Neutrality
By Timothy L. Stanley

Bloggers have a lot a stake in the new battle over Internet access. Bloggers assume that all web sites will be accessible. We expect to read whatever we want from whatever source we deem important. Today, Internet users and bloggers can go anywhere their interest and investigative mind takes them.

As this blog is written, the telecommunication giants and government regulators are trying to change this. They want to discriminate against anyone they deem inappropriate, politically incorrect, or snoops too much.

How will they do this? Restricting Internet access will be easy. They will do this tthrough Internet monitoring and pricing structures directed at keeping bloggers off the Internet. In addition, the telecommunication giants own the lines and transmission capacity. Federal regulators want to hand out Internet access to cronies, political hacks, and large multi-national firms paying huge fees to dominate the Internet. If multi-nations can knock bloggers off the internet, they will do it. This will give them unlimited marketing ability and a chance to shape public opinion to drive their products and ideas into every home in America.

Since the Main Steam Media is owned lock, stock, and barrel by large corporate concerns, bloggers will not be able to challenge CNN, ABC, CBS, or NBC. The Main Stream Media will be the only voice the public will see or hear. A Dan Rather type of reporting will become the norm. A Matt Drudge type of investigative reporting and citizen journalists/bloggers will be excluded from the public forum.

The aforementioned is an overview of what is coming. It is time for bloggers to organize, lobby, and support political parties to challenge telecommunication giants and federal regulators. Help maintain Net Neutrality.

A Smile

I went into Carl's Jr yesterday and the new manager had a great big smile. I like it when people smile. It seems to bring life to the day. For some reason, some people do not smile much. I figure this is because they don't see a need to show others a smile. The government employees I have met, do not smile much. However, they have a lot to smile about. They have good pay, good benefits, and life time jobs with no layoffs. They should smile all the time. But, they don't. This is a mystery to me. Oh well, life is full of mysteries. And sometimes, you just cannot figure it out. I wonder if I will see any smiling people tomorrow? As Forest Gump said, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get".

Real Friends

Real friends are special. Without friends, it would be a lonely place. Real friends know you and appreciate who you are. They give you words of encouragement when you get down. When you are going down the wrong path, real friends will give you honest advice, even if you don't like it. Yes indeed, I really appreciate real friends. The Lord has blessed me with many and I will always be grateful for this.

Realtors®

Real estate is an interesting profession. Marketing is highly important. Real estate contract issues are also essential components of this field. This is really a critical part of the job. Contracts are highly complex and attention to every detail is vital. Even though commissions on a real estate transaction can be good, the amount of time and money spent marketing can eat up a commission real fast. In addition, the Realtor® fees and insurance required to be in real estate are quite huge. Thus, a Realtor® must complete several transactions each year in order to pay expenses. My hat is off to Realtors® trying to make a living in this economic downturn.

What is the World Coming To

I saw a woman working in a local hamburger joint a few days ago. Gosh, she had rings in her lips, tongue, and nose. Then, I saw the cook wipe his hands over his hair and wipe the sweat from his brow. I just could not order a hamburger at that place. I went home and put a frozen dinner in the oven. In some ways, I craved some good old Army chow. What is the world coming to?